Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1911 — Hum of the Hive. [ARTICLE]

Hum of the Hive.

It Is not good policy to thin honey In any way—in fact, most consumers of honey like it as thick as they can set It. By some seedsmen sweet clover is catalogued as Bokhara or bee clover. It is a fine thing for bees, as the flowers secrete fine quality of nectar and large amounts of it v A man who knows “all about bees” and does not believe that anything more can be gained by reading bee Journals, books on bees, etc., will soon be far behind the age. Honey is becoming more and more generally used as a food and bolds Its own in price, and with the advance in price of all other foodstuffs there is no reason why it should not bring a higher price. Bees may be fed a sirup in small quantities made of half granulated sugar and half water, either hot or cold process—hot preferred—and fed warm in an Alexander or Boardman feeder. The Alexander is handier, safer and less liable to encourage robbing. The bees should be fed about sundown and about one pint per day. ' The first few flights that the bees have in the spring determined to a great extent their power for the future harvest. The weak among bees are disposed to be imposed upon by the stronger. Oftentimes when the bees take their first spring flights they find hives unguarded, some hives containing honey and no bees, etc., which they at once take possession of. Bees become frantic over stolen sweets the same as some men become frantic over stolen money.. The bees seem to follow the oft quoted law—the survival of the fittest makes the race stronger. Hera fa where the careless beekeeper often fell* down. He allows the bees to rob each other, carrying disease from hive to hive, making an uproar In the apiary, becoming croes end censing had neighbors, etc.